


A Love Story in Twelve Parts

by tyrellis



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Genderfluid Character, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-18
Updated: 2014-10-18
Packaged: 2018-02-21 17:11:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2475953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tyrellis/pseuds/tyrellis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The 104th watch Jean and Eren fall in love; or, it takes several years for Jean and Eren to realise they actually love each other, and the 104th despair.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Love Story in Twelve Parts

**Author's Note:**

> so..........i came up with the title and premise and then everyone's little bit just appeared. wrote it in italy, hell yeah hell yeah, instead of doing school work...like i'm supposed to be doing right now... hm... anyway.
> 
> the timeline is a little skippy, so my apologies. it's solid for like the first four or five parts, then it goes back and forth and i'm reasonably sure it all makes sense, but. it might not.
> 
> the trans character and genderfluid character are not our main ship, but!! one person's bit has a whole ton of sexuality/gender stuff involved and i'm a little worried about it, so if i've gotten a fact wrong or make any offensive comments (unintentionally! i hope i've gotten everything right >>) then pls do not hesitate to say so!
> 
> er yeah. this is basically just really self indulgent... i shoved so many dumb little headcanons in here... i hope it's not too dumb >> anyways as per pls leave a comment if u like <3

_We live in cities you'll never see on screen_   
_Not very pretty but we sure know how to run things_   
_Living in ruins of a palace within my dreams_   
_And you know, we're on each others' team._

**_Team_ ** _, Lorde._

\--

Ymir's the first of their wider circle of friends to realise: her and Jean are shit-talking bitches during the first dance of sixth year, because they're both sour gits like that. They're both in suit and tie, even though the SMT tried to tell her she had to wear a dress, and they're loitering by the seats on the platform when Eren, Mikasa, and Armin walk in.

Jean shuts up about Hitch's poor lipstick choice immediately and lets out a tiny gasp - Ymir follows his wide gaze to Eren, looking buff in a kilt and tie, and she hisses to him, "I've got you now, horsey."

His red cheeks are all the reply she needs.

\--

Christa figures it out the same night. She's twirling about with some nice boy in her lilac gown when Ymir intercepts and crows, "You heard about Jaeger and Kirschtein?"

Christa casts an apologetic smile at the now-ditched boy, then turns her attention to her girlfriend. "No, pray tell?"

Ymir glances over Christa's shoulder, grinning, and swivels them around for the waltz as she says, "Oi, check 'em out.

Eren and Jean aren't hard to spot: Eren's flanked by Mikasa and Armin, who both look beautiful, and Jean's haircut makes him very easy to pick out of a crowd.

Usually brawling, the two of them are just standing there, fidgeting with their clothes and peeking at each other out the corner of their eyes.

"They're adorable," Christa concurs as she steps twice left in time with the celilidh band.

When she looks back again, Sasha and Connie are flocking Jean, and Eren's staring like a lost puppy.

\--

Bertholdt realises in the middle of December, maybe a month or so after the ceilidh - enough time for Jean to get a girlfriend, go on a few dates, and get dumped.

Reiner's thrown a gathering for the main crew - he set up a facebook group in 2010 called YOUNG TEAM :], something no one's bothered changing, and uses it to organise all their get togethers. The middle of December was the only weekend they all had free before the holiday, and lo and behold, here they are.

Most of them have been bouncing to the music or playing vicious rounds of Mario Kart on Reiner's N64, but Jean's been on a mission to get as drunk as possible. Sadly, Sasha and Connie have only encouraged it, and Eren's barrage of surpisingly spiteful comments haven't helped at all either

Bertl, who spends most of the evening teetotalling under Reiner's arm, doesn't say anything - he's pretty sure Jean has some carefully concealed self-esteem problems, as much as he likes to put an arrogant face on. He knows his help would be unwelcome, though, and except for a few mild comments about what Jean's been drinking, Bertl stays quiet.

They all pass out in the realm of three - or at least, Bertl thinks so, until he gets up about an hour later, bursting for the toilet as he claws his way out from under Reiner.

There's a cold draft coming through, and when Bertl goes to investigate the source he sees the kitchen door open - as Bertl creeps closer, he realises Eren and Jean are sitting in Reiner's garden, the grass wet from the day's rain, a blanket wrapped round them that won't be enough to counteract the freezing cold. From here, Bertl can see white puffs of fog rising up with every breath they take.

Bertl really doesn't want to intrude - being so careful about his own privacy, he doesn't want to disrespect others' - but it's probably less that 0 degrees out there and besides, what do Jean and Eren ever do that isn't brawling or sniping at each other?

Bertl doesn't want to intrude, but he's a gentle giant so they don't hear him come outside. It's bitingly cold, and he shudders, but Eren and Jean keep talking.

Well, Jean talks. He must be so drunk, and lord knows how far from whiteying or passing out, as he is wont to do. His voice is loud, slurred, _sad_... Bertl finds himself halting in his tracks.

"...and' then, _she_  tells me she's just no' tha' _into_  it, or wha'ever, or _me_ , an' she just' wants to _break up_ , an' then she jus' fuckin' _goes_. Jus' like 'at."

"Jean you've had a bit much to drink... Why don't we go fae a lie-down, aye?"

" _An' then_ , my dad keeps sayin', _Jean_ , why can't yeh get better grades, huh? I got an A for this fuckin' subject an' an A for that fuckin' subject a' your age, exams were much harder then! Jean, why aren't you doing well in sports, only getting into four heats this month? Jean, why d'you keep playin' piano an' makin' tea an' doin' all them _girly jobs_ , Jean, or are you a fuckin' queer like all the _pussies_  you carry on wi'?"

Bertl stares, wide-eyed, at the figures huddled together in the garden - Jean's curled right into himself and Eren's gotten all twitchy, hands going to and fro, till he holds out an arm and stumbles out, "Just- just come 'ere, you dick- eejit- fuckface-" Eren sighs, but Jean slumps into Eren with a tiny laugh, and Eren murmurs, " _Horseface_ ," so lovingly that Bertl's taken aback. Eren keeps going, muttering about how Jean's dad is as much a prick as Eren's and doesn't deserve a son like that, and Bertl pads back into the kitchen, goes to the bathroom, and tucks himself back under Reiner's arm.

\--

Reiner catches it at the schol gym. He, Eren, and Connie are working out together over their free double, Connie racing on the treadmill whilst Eren and Reiner do weights with each other. It's small, and luckily not so busy today, so Reiner's been playing the Top 40 at full blast or the past half hour.

Eren loads the weights onto Reiner's bar whilst Connie yells, " _Shots! Turn down for what!?_ " before dialling the speed way up.

Eren's laughing, and between that and Reiner's own grunting as he brings the weights up and down he barely hears someone call out, "What the _hell_ , Springer?"

"Oi, Jaeger, another," Reiner commands, but when he looks up Eren's gawping at the entrance, face red, and clearly not from the growing heat in the room. Reiner wriggles out from under the bar to see the spectacle - yeah, Connie's making an arse of himself on the treadmill, but Reiner realises Eren isn't quite looking that way.

Instead - Jean and Ymir, signing in at the desk, chatting and ocassionally cackling together as they stand and head for the bikes. Ymir's in the usual sports bra and leggings, but Eren's eyes are fixed on Jean, his neon blue vest, and the way he moves in a pair of cycling shorts.

Reiner slinks back down and keeps lifting as the chatter stops and Jean yellls, "Here, Jaeger, the fuck are you staring at me for, freak?"

It takes Eren a second, but he eventually comes out with, "I just couldnae tell if you were a horse or a human, Kirschtein! Maybe you should fix that!"

"Maybe if you're seeing things, you should get your fucking eyes tested!" Jean snarls back, and Ymir starts cackling in the background.

"Boys!" she laughs. "Chill _out_! C'mon, horsey, let's see if you still got it."

Eren keeps floundering, and Reiner can't quite suppress his laughter anymore..

"Oi, _Jaeger_!" he says, and manages to get Eren's attention. "Horses, huh?" He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

"What- _what?!_  Shut up, Braun!"

He and Ymir snicker about it for hours after.

-

Annie sees it in February. It's not that she's oblivious, she just _doesn't care_  that much. She never talks to Jean, and spends most of her time with Eren sparring or talking about Mikasa and Armin.

But it's not due to Eren she realises it. It's the first week after the prelims, when everybody gets their results back. Annie didn't try much, because they don't count for anything and she doesn't care for prizes. Armin cared, though, as did Mikasa, Eren, Bertl...

And Jean, she realises now. Well, maybe not Jean. Maybe someone else.

They're all gathered in Annie's form room, since all their other classmates tend to go to the stand or the common room before assembly. Annie's been sitting between Mikasa and Eren, discussing the new body combat class at the local gym, when Jean finally appears.

The room goes silent and various people - like Eren - spring to their feet.

In a few seconds everyone gets a good look at Jean - he doesn't move, just stares at his feet and clings to his bag strap - and Annie finds herself caring _intensely_ , because she's been where Jean must be and _worse_.

She doesn't go to him. Instead, Eren beats everyone there to their surprise - Marco actually stumbles back a few steps.

Then, finally: "What the _fuck_  is this?! Who the fuck did this to you, Jean?!"

And Annie gets it, because Armin and Mikasa had had similar reactions two years ago.

Jean and Eren, always fighting, always paying attention to each other - she really shouldn't be this surprised.

Jean hasn't said a word, and Eren's reaching up - Annie finds herself flinching, just barely, but Jean is a statue as Eren delicately touches his hand in the shape of the one bruising Jean's left cheek.

"Is this all?" Eren demands, but Jean is the daughter touched by King Midas, and won't say a word. "C'mon, Jean, was it your fucking- it _was_ , I'm going to fucking _kill_  him, how _dare_  he hurt his own _son_ like that-"

Annie discovers that she absolutely cannot stand to be in that room any longer, and quickly excuses herself, ignoring the throbbing scar on her left hand as she hurries away.

Later, she inquires discreetly about it to Eren - his fists clench, but he explains it all very quickly. Not the first time Jean was hit, but the first time it left a mark; Jean's mother is sick and was unable to do anything; and it happened for a variety of reasons, not just because of his prelim results.

Annie still doesn't talk to Jean, but she pays him far more attention that she ever did before.

\--

Connie doesn't figure it out until the sixth year holiday. The twelve of them decided not to go with the main group, instead choosing to go Interrailing through Spain, France, and Italy. It's pretty great, because Sasha and Armin know Spanish, Jean's fluent in French, and Marco's native language is Italian.

It's only their third day in Spain, where they're sharing a decent-sized flat close to the beach and the nightlife. Connie's just waking up from his hangover, and the note on the fridge tells him they've all gone out to the tapas place closeby for their hangover remedy.

Connie's about to go get ready to join them when he hears some thumps from upstairs, and figures some others must still be in, and that he should go tell them where the team's at.

It's coming from Jean, Marco, Eren and Armin's room, and Connie's hand is right on the door knob when he hears, "Oh my God, Eren, _yes_ -"

Connie reels back from the door, eyes wide, and then leans back in, ear pressed against the wood - just in case he heard wrong.

"Oh, issat how you like it, horseface?"

Connie makes a face, and evidently, Jean isn't best pleased either.

"Christ, Jaeger, I didn't realise you were so- _oh_ , so romantic!" Jean punctuates this with a breathy _fuck_ , and colour flushes Connie's cheeks as he's unable to ignore the obvious - Jean and Eren are totally fucking. Holy fuck. Connie's one of Jean's _best_ mates, how did he not realise? Is this the first time? Has it been going on for a while? Is it just sex, or something more?

Then again, Jean talks about Eren all the time...

"Oi, I can show you romantic, _Jean_ ," Eren says, and against his better judgement, Connie cracks the door open an inch and- yup, okay.

They're both totally naked, and totally having sex, and Jean's on his back with his arms and legs round Eren and this weird smile on his face and Eren's moving all slow and kissing Jean's neck and whispering things and-

Yeah, okay, that is _totally_  more than sex.

Connie shuts the door, throws some decent clothes and someone's deoderant on, and ponders this the whole way to the tapas bar. The team's round a big table, with a plethora of little dishes in the centre of it, and Connie blurts out, "Jean and Eren are totally having sex."

Reiner and Ymir both throw back their heads and _howl_ , and almost everyone else starts giggling as Connie yanks over a chair and sits down.

"We know!" Ymir exclaims. "You just found it out?!"

"No, like, literally having sex, like, right now!"

Honest to God _tears_  are rolling down Reiner's cheeks, and Marco's bent double over his plate.

Christa smiles and says, "They've been having sex for three months, Connie."

"How did I not _know_  about this?!" he screeches, and Sasha just pats his hand as she snorts.

"Oh baby," she laughs.

Connie shakes his head, then suggests, "It's more than sex, though."

That calms them all down.

"They don't think so," Marco admits after a moment.

"It is though. I mean, I saw-" Ymir starts laughing again and, flustered, he continues, "I mean, the way they were _looking_  at each other! Like, uh..." Connie's about to say it's how everyone looks at all _their_  respective partners, then remembers Marco doesn't have one, and derails. "Like how Sasha looks at food!"

"It's true, I do love food more than you."

"Well, you're not wrong," Annie grumbles. Next to her Mikasa nods.

"So they're- a thing? Kind of a thing? On their way to being a thing?"

Reiner shrugs. Armin says, "A thing but they don't realise it yet. Best not to bring it up."

So when Jean and Eren show up, twenty minutes later, wearing each others' shirts with messy hair, Connie just flushes and stays quiet.

\--

Sasha, though not widely considered the brightest of sparks, prides herself on being Jean's best female friend - with this title comes great powers, like being able to figure this shit out a year before the others did.

Sasha's grown up in a well-off farming family - from a young age she's been taught about crops and soil and machines, about plants and how they react to the world around them.

It's something she ponders more and more often as they come into fifth year, one of the most important years of their _lives_.

For example, she's had a crush on Connie for _years_ , and can't help herself thinking he's the sun and the water and the oxygen and she's the soil, concealing the seed within, and alone they're nothing special, but together they create something beautiful.

And more and more often, she's seeing something similar between Jean and Eren. It's October, prime time for the cold, and Jean's off sick for three days with headaches and sore tummies and a cough so bad he can't make a sound.

Sasha's found Eren's sudden floundering quite curious, and it crystalises for her on the third day.

During this Thursday lunchtime, Eren's withdrawn and quiet, speaking only when spoken to, clenching and unclenching his fists, and sometimes muttering to himself.

Connie's at the gym with Reiner, and Marco's huddled in the corner of the upstairs gallery, where the fifth years eat, on the phone to Jean. Sasha's bored, and so she's idly surveying her companions.

Her attention is caught by Eren, who's watching Marco with a frown - instead of fighting, lately Eren's just been lashing out at people, but Sasha sees something like _worry_  in his eyes as Marco returns to the table, and he pays avid attention as Marco explains that Jean's feeling a little better now, and might be in tomorrow.

Eren sighs, and _here_  - Sasha sees it all very clearly. If Eren were a plant, Jean would be his sun - something to strive towards, to revolve around, to give him _vitality_. Without Jean, Eren's been lost, almost _reclusive_ , and Sasha can't stop the biggest smile from overtaking her face..

"It's all gonna be alright," she sings to Eren, who just squints at her, but she laughs, and shares a look with Marco. Oh, yes, Marco knows, and he nods with a grin as Eren starts going on about how he'll finally have a good horseface to punch tomorrow.

Eren _does_  punch Jean when he comes in on Friday, and follows it up with, "Cannae believe you left me here without someone to fight with, you tosser!"

Jean just squawks indignantly, and Sasha finds it all so _cute_.

\--

Marco's known since the fourth day of primary two, the year Eren moved to their school. Eren and Jean were instantly on each others' cases: Eren had 'weird eyes' and Jean had a 'stupid voice' - Jean hadn't heard of heterochromia yet, and Eren hadn't quite grasped the concept of foreign languages and accents, either, and Jean wouldn't stop complaining to Marco about it.

They've been best friends for a very long time.

Nonetheless, it's Friday afternoon, so instead of class they're playing with the numerous toys outside the junior years' classrooms. Jean picks up a square, tries to push it through a smaller square-shaped hole, then sighs in disgust when it doesn't work.

"This is all Eren's fault."

Marco doesn't follow Jean's logic, and asks, "Why?"

"'Cause he's stupid."

"Really? But he managed to add double digits today!"

"So? He keeps saying I talk wrong, but he just doesn't understand French!"

"I don't understand French."

"Yeah, but you're Marco." Jean shrugs, finding the right square for the shape. "And you're It.... Ita... Italay..."

"Italian!" Marco smiles.

"Yeah! So you get it."

"Okay." Marco pauses, looking for a triangle, then asks innocently, "Why d'you always argue with Eren?"

"I don't!"

Marco uses his entire body to give Jean the most unimpressed look he can muster.

Jean just sticks a rectangle into place and mutters, "He's cute."

"Cute?" Marco doesn't see it. Eren's eyes are pretty, sure, but he's aways baring his teeth and stealing the Play-Doh from everyone.

"Yeah." Jean crosses his arms. "Yesterday he said he was gonna marry me."

"Did he?" Jean nods. "So are you gonna marry him?"

"Dunno. Maybe if he fixes his eyes."

If Marco ever brings this up in the future, Jean always refutes its happening with an astonishing vehemence.

Marco isn't very surprised, though, when Jean confesses he really likes Eren's eyes in fourth year - Marco refrains from asking whether this means the marriage is on or not.

-

In the summer before sixth year, Eren and Armin end up having a very frank discussion. Eren caught him kissing Mikasa _and_  Annie at the end-of-year party, and turned up the next day at Armin's house, armed with Doritos and Monsters.

They talk about a lot of things.

"Wait - so you're with Mikasa _and_  Annie?"

"Yup."

"Like a threesome?"

"Uh huh."

"Right, so..." Eren scratches his head. "How does the sex work?"

Ah yes, this stumbling block. "Eren, I'm asexual."

"You're...what?"

"Asexual. You know the spectrum of secualities, don't you?"

"Uh...some...o' them...?" Eren's getting fidgety.

"Alright. Well, you realise we've only one straight friend, don't you?"

"Who? Is it Jean?"

Armin stares for a seoncd. "No? I'm pretty sure Jean's bi? Or are you forgetting that night he pulled Mina, Thomas, _and_  Mylius?"

Eren scowls. "...Maybe."

Armin sighs. "Alright. Well, it's Connie."

"Connie? Then what's Sasha? Isn't she straight, cause she wants on Connie's dick?"

"Oh my God, Eren," Armin sighs, shaking his head. "Connie doesn't _have_  a dick yet, remember?"

Eren goes wide-eyed and gapes. "Oh, fuck, I totally forgot, oh God, fuck, yeah... Sorry, Connie. So what's Sasha?"

"She's pansexual. She's attracted to people regardless of gender, so her and Connie fit perfectly."

"Alright, so what's asexual?"

"It means I don't feel sexual attraction to any gender. So, Mikasa and Annie have sex, but I just kiss and cuddle them."

Eren nods slowly. "But, like, you still like 'em? You just don't fuck 'em?"

"Exactly!" Armin smiles brightly. "I'm in love with them, but I don't want to have sex with them. Which is great, because Annie's only sexually attracted to girls."

"Okay... That makes sense..." Eren sips some of the tea Armin made in preparation for this talk. "Well, what do you think I am?"

"I can't tell you that, Eren. Who do you like?"

Eren shrugs. "I dunno. I only like guys....but like, I wouldn't ever get with Connie, even though he _is_  a guy, 'cause I just don't like..."

"Vagina and tits?" Armin suggests.

Eren nods, face red.

"That's okay. That just means you're sexually attracted to guys with dicks, so like, you're gay. You'd still be, even if you did like tits, but you don't, so... " Armin shrugs. "...it's all cool."

"Oh, okay." Eren smiles in relief. "So like, all our friends are queer?"

"Basically. There's also a huge gender spectrum, as well. I mean, most of our friends are cis, but, for example, sometimes I wear skirts and nail polish and ask for she/her pronouns? That's because, though I predominantly feel male, I sometimes feel more female. You get me?"

Eren nods. "Yeah. You're the reason Sasha keeps asking me to do her nails now. Jean too, actually. Does that mean Jean's...?"

"Nah. Jean just likes having cool nails, which is fair enough."

"Yeah... Jean does have nice nails, actually...an' nice hands... His face is a bit" - Eren makes a face - "but like...yeah...."

"What are you trying to say, Eren?"

Eren's face is bright red. "Nothing! It's just... I mean, we've clarified I like guys wi' dicks...an' Jean's a guy wi' a dick...so... I'm allowed to, like, kinda-be-maybe-possibly-sort-of attracted to him?"

Armin tries so hard to conceal a smile. "Of course you are, Eren."

"Good! It's no like it means anything! He just has a good face. And a nice accent. An' like, those _legs_..." Armin can't help snickering a little, but Eren's so lost in whatever image of Jean he's conjured up that he doesn't notice. "An' like, usually he'll ask fae blue nails, but then sometimes green, but he suits gold the best... Like his eyes." Eren actually _sighs_. "An' then sometimes he an' Sasha'll ask to match, he's so _cute_ -"

 _There it is_ , Armin thinks as Eren keeps going, this silly smile on his face. Oh, Armin's had his suspicions for years, but this is the most obvious indicator yet.

"...But, I mean, I would never date him! He has a face like a horse! And his _accent_!"

"Of course, Eren," Armin smiles, and says nothing as Eren's ears go red and he changes the conversation topic.

The next day, Sasha posts a cute pic on Instagram of her and Jean's hands, showing the matching red of their nails, and Armin smiles when he sees Eren's liked the photo already. It's adorable.

\--

Even though Jean asked her out first, Mikasa knew. She _always_  knew.

\--

Jean realises it in snippets: every time Marco brings up that time in P3 when Eren asked Jean to marry him; how Eren doesn't leave him alone every time he gets back from being off school sick; the look on Eren's face every time he asks to get his nails done the same shade as Sasha's; that fucking _dance_ , with the fucking kilt and his stupid fucking _smirk_ ; the night Jean spilt his heart out to Eren in the freezing cold and the New Years' Eve Eren reciprocated; the absolute _horror_  in Eren's eyes the day Jean's dad left a mark; the first night Eren kissed him, the second, the third...

Every time they had sex and Jean had to pretend like it was just sex; every time they've had sex and Eren acted like it _wasn't_  just sex.

The way Eren's enrolled into the police, where he'll train in Scotland for a few years before getting an actual position.

Remembering this, in January, when Oxford give him a conditional, and Jean accepts it immediately.

Making this decision and not telling Eren, not telling _anyone_ , and ignoring the way the regrets grows the closer Jean and Eren get.

Jean's loved Eren for years, he thinks, but it's never been so strong or so _painful_  than the last day in April before the exam diet. Everyone's gotten their letters back, everyone's making their decisions - and when Jean tells Eren he's going down South, the shock and sadness that fills Eren's eyes cause all this stupid love to rear up in Jean so _strongly_ , he can barely contain it.

They have sex the first time that day. Jean knows it can't last forever, but he revels in it, and pretends he isn't crying when he curls up in bed, alone, that night.

\--

Eren's known it for a long time, for a very long time. Every time he's called Jean horseface, every time their constant tussling turns to pulling on the floor, every time Jean divulges some secret part of himself to Eren, he's _burned_  with it.

But he keeps pretending he doesn't love Jean. Impossible, _impossible_  to love Jean, even though Jean has gold eyes and a stupid haircut, and they talked for hours those three nights Jean spent at Eren's house after he saw what Jean's dad had done, and even though every time they so much as _cuddle_  Eren feels like he's come home...he denies it to himself.

Hes not fucking blind. He knows everyone's got their eye on them, and he knows it's hurting Jean the way Eren keeps acting like it's nothing, but Jean's going off to _England_  for three years, where all the boys and girls are smart and pretty and Eren can't _afford_  to say _I love you_  to a boy who has so much more to live for.

But he can't hold it back forever. He can't keep pretending, and it's getting tougher and tougher to let go of Jean and dress when they have sex, Eren wants to lie there and hold him by Eren's side _forever_...

"I fucking love you!" he ends up yelling when Jean's at the airport with his mum and various friends. Mikasa's going down, too, and Eren's suppposedly here for her, but seeing Jean with all his luggage stacked beside him... Eren won't see him till December...

"... _What_?"

Jean's mum is biting her lip; Mikasa and Armin are clutching each others' hands.

"I said I fucking love you, horseface, and I have for ages!"

Eren storms right up to Jean, who's wide-eyed and trembling, and declares, "I am so fucking in love with you and I am fucking skyping you every fucking night, please don't fall in love with other hot Oxford smartypants, I'm sorry for taking so long."

"This is literally the worst time you could've said this," Jean replies, but he sounds faint and shaky and he adds, "I fucking love you too. I thought... You always acted like..."

"I know, I'm sorry, I was _scared_... I still am, I just... I cannae stand the thought o' you off to Oxford and- an' someone else having you 'cause I was too fuckin' stupid to say shit-"

"Its okay! It's okay, Eren, I swear." Jean smiles so softly, and takes Eren's hands. "I love you. I'll skype you. But I have to check in and go through security and find my gate, alright?"

"Alright," Eren sighs, and kisses him. "You better prepare yourself for all the skype sex we're gonna have."

Jean goes red, and hisses, "Don't say that in front of my _mum_ , Jesus Christ!"

No sooner has he said that than people - _strangers_  - start clapping and hooting, and Armin's laughing, and Mikasa looks so _happy_ , and Eren says, I love you," and kisses him again.

\--

It's not perfect. It was never going to be perfect, but at the end of eight years Jean and Eren are both laughing and crying into their champagne as Marco relates the infamous P2 tale of Eren's proposal to Jean, and that's perfect enough.

**Author's Note:**

> lmao marco will never stop bringing it up. u know connie goes up there like 'jean's my best mate right. i didn't even realise he and eren were a thing until i walked in on them fucking. what the fuck jean. what the fuck. i think we both know why i'm not ur best man rn.'
> 
> anyways hope u enjoyed! hope it all makes sense! and for anyone wondering, jean totally went to do fine arts at oxford tbh the only reason i didn't pick cambridge is bc they don't do fine arts there >>


End file.
